Automobile elevating runway



Jan. 5 1926.

, G. E. WEAVER AUTOMOBILE ELEVATING DRUNWAY Filed May 16, 1925 Jen.. 5, 1926. I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

04mm 1. WEAVER, OI SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T WEAVER IANUIAC TUBING GOIPANY, OI SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLDTOIS.

AUTOMOBILE ELEVATING RUNWAY.

Application filed ga 1a, 1925. Serial- N0. 80,888.

. To all whomit may com-em: other object is to provide a structure in- Be it known that I, GAILARD E. WEAVER, eluding such hinged section of the trackway a citizen of the United States, residing at that shall be so locked in working position Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and that it will co-operate with the uprights State of Illinois, have invented certain new and braces of the structure to distribute and' useful Improvements in Automobile throughout the entire side of the structure Elevating Runways, of whichthe following any longitudinal strain on the latter that "is a specification. might be caused by the automobile bump- This invention relatesto a class of devices ing the end stops with more or less force.

10 commonly known as automobile, elevating A still further object is to provide a very runways, thepur'pose of which is to raise an sim 1e and easily manipulated hinged track automobile above the level of thefloor or sectlon-functionlng in the manner of a gate ground so that the under side of the car which, when open, will automatically funcmay be made conveniently accessible to a tion as a stop to arrest any back movement 15 mechanic for performing any necessary of the automobile while the gate is open, work, cleaning the underlying parts, drainthusv making it impossible for the automoing the crank case, etc. Runways of this bile to be accidentally derailed on the struccharacter commonly consist of a horizontal hire. frame structure. supported on the floor or Still other ob ects and attendant advanground and carrying a pair of horizontal tages of the 1 nvent 1on will be apparent to elevated trackrails, a pair of inclined track persons famlllar with this class of devices rails leading from the floor or ground up to from the following detailed description, one end of the elevated .track rails, and taken In connect on with the accompanying stops at the other end of the,horizontal draw ngs wherein I have illustrated one track rails to prevent the car from running practical and approved embodlment of the oil the structure. principle of the invention, and in which- The track rail supporting elements of Fig. 1 1s a perspective elevation of an these devices commonly consist of uprights automobile elevatlng runway equipped with on which the track rails rest and oblique my present improvement;

30 braces between the uprights; and further- F 1g. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the more, where these devices are located in front portlon thereof including my imgarages or other buildings it is common, in proved gate; order to conserve space, to locate the front Flg. 3 1s a top plan view of the gate porend against or closely adjacent to a wall of tlon of the structure showing the gate in 35 the building, while the rear end is more or closed and locked posltiong' less obstructed by the inclined approach Fig. 4 1s a cross-section on the line 44 tracks or runways; so that it is sometimes a of Fig. 3; and diflicult and awkward task for the mechanic Fi 5 is an enlarged cross-section showor workman to get in and out of working ing e gate locking device, on the line 5-5 40 position beneath the car. i of Fig.

The main-object of the present invention Referring to the drawing, the runway is to improve devices of this character in the herein shown comprises a frame structure way ofproviding ready access to the intefabricated from standard steel parts includrior of the structure and without requiring ing parallel rows of uprights or posts 6, the workman to crawl into it from either angles 7 connecting their lower ends and mo end; and to the attainment of this object,- diagonalbraces 8; the posts in the two rows the invention consists substantially in probeing rigidly connected and spaced by transviding a gate in either or both sides of the verse angles 9. Secured to and supported structure that may be readily opened, after on the posts 6 are horizontal trough-shaped the automobile is in place, to afford easy trackwa s or.rails 10, to the forward ends entrance. This gate preferably takes the of which are welded or otherwise secured form of a hinged section of the horizontal short upwardly inclined sections 12 constitrackway, with means for securely supporttuting bumpers or stops for the front wheels ing the same in working position when-the of the car. '13 designates the inclined a 55 car is run-onto and oil the structure. Anproach trackwaysor rails, the lower on e no of which rest upon the floor or ground. and the upper ends of which are supported upon the end posts 6 of the main structure in register with the rear ends of the track rails 10. The approach rails 13 are supported by one or more intermediate posts 14 connected and spaced by the angle bar 15. On one or both sides of the main structure at substantially the level of the track rails 10 is a platform 16 onwhich the workman may stand when examining the engine and its accessories beneath the engine hood.

The structure asthus far described is old and well known and no novelty is claimed therefor. As hereinabove stated, the presence of the track rails 10 and the brace bars 8 makes it a matter of some difiiculty for the mechanic or workman to enter the struc ture and get beneath the car from the sides; and if he enters it from the forward end, the structure must be spaced sufiiciently from a wall or fence to enable him to gain access in that way, while in order to enter from the front, he must either crawl under the approach track rails 13, which are usually of considerable length, or walk entirelyaround the lower end of the latter.

It is with a view to saving both space and time that I have designed my present improvement which, as already indicated, consists essentially in the provision of a gate in one or both sides of the structure which can be opened after the car is in place and then closed to permit the car to back off.

This gate, in form of the invention herein illustrated, consists of a hinged section 10' of one of the horizontal track rails 10. This section 10' is connected to the portion of the track rail just forwardly thereof by a pair of links 17, conveniently made of strap iron, that are pivoted to the sides of the gate section 10 at 18 somewhat rearwardly of the forward end of said gate section, and are similarly pivoted to the rear portion of the track rail 10 at 19 aboutthe same distance forwardly of its rear end. Directly underlying the joint between these two rail sections and adapted to su port the meeting ends thereof is an angle an 20 which is itself rested on the upper end of oneof the posts 6 and may be extended to form one of the supports for the platform 16. The other end of the track rail section 10' and the adjacent end of the fixed track rail 10 are supported upon a short section of T- rail 21 that is rested upon another post 6. By reason of this construction the gate section 10 of the rail, when lined up with the adjacent permanent sections, is amply supported at both ends for the passage of the front wheel of the automobile thereover. When the automobile is in place, the section 10, lying between the front and rear wheels,

,is slightly raised and then allowed to drop to the substantially upright position shown gate section 10' When the gate section 10' is thus opened, 2.

free opening through the side of the runway structure is provided between the floor and the running board of the car, through which the mechanic or workman easily enters to the space within the structure beneath the car.

When, as often happens, the car is not arrested by the tracks until the front wheels have struck the forward stops 12, the thrust on the latter imparts some strain to the longitudinal side frames of the runway; and the severance of the track rail to provide the gate would throw these strains wholly on the two forward posts 6 and the oblique brace 8 between them, To prevent this, and distribute such strains throughout the full length of the side frame of the runway, I provide a simple lock which connects the with the track section 10 directly in rear thereof. As herein shown, this lock consists simply of a depending lug 22 on the under side of the free end of the gate section 10' which, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, passes through a slot 23 formed in the forward leaf of the T-support 21. By this means the longitudinal stresses referred to.

the locking lug,22 from the slot 23, whereupon by raising the opposite end of the gate section, the latter is easily swung downwardly to the upright full line position shown in-Fig. 2, thus providing a clear and unobstructed access to the space beneath the car. The lock 22 also prevents any tendencyof the frame to divide or pull apart at this -point, which might allow the gate to drop and cause an accldent.

It will be'observed by reference to Fig. 2 I

that the movable gate section 10 is of a length somewhat exceeding the height of the fixed track rail sections 10; so that, when it is lowered to open position its upper end projects above the forward fixed track rail section 10 and constitutes a stop, function- 11 similar to the sto 12, to arrest any accid tntal backward'rol ing of the automobile. I have herein shown and described one very simple and practical form of the invention as embodied in a metal frame runway of the character shown. Manifestly many of the structural details may be varied I such to suit other forms and structures of runways, and hence I do not limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, but reserve all variations and modifications as fall within the spirit and purview of the appended claim.

claim- An automobile runway of the character described, having a air of spaced, frame supports in one side t ereof, fixed track rail sections mounted on said frame sup rts, a

movable track rail section between said fixed sections of a length exceeding the height of said fixed sections, ledges on said frame supports on which the ends of said movable section normally rest in register with the ends of said fixed sections, and a link horizontally pivoted to and connecting proximate ends of said movable section and onset saidfixed sections and permittin said movable section to be swung ownwardly through the space between said frame supports to a substantially verticalposition wherein the hinged upper end of said movable section section and constitutes a stop to arrest backward movement of the automobile on the runway.

In witness whereof I have hereunto. set my hand and seal. I

GAILARD E. WEAVER. at

projects above the adjacent fixed 

